Why You Need To Drain Ricotta When Making Lasagna (2024)
a riddell
·2 min read
Let's be honest, making lasagna is a time-consuming (but worthwhile) exercise. You would be forgiven if, in your anticipation, you make a few mistakes in the interest of saving time. One such error, according to Mashed recipe contributor Maren Epstein, is spooning ricotta onto your lasagna without draining it first.
Making lasagna isn't just about balancing layers; it's about balancing textures, as well. The ideal lasagna should have a golden, crispy topping that's created by browning your favorite cheeses. After your fork breaks through that top crust, it should meet with structurally sound layers of filling and cheese, separated by perfectly cooked pasta sheets. It's that combination of crisp and tender, as well as the hearty mix of cheese and meat, that makes lasagna a comfort food supper staple.
Achieving equilibrium between tenderness and structural integrity is already a bit of a tightrope walk. That's why it's important to give yourself as many advantages as you possibly can, especially when it comes to removing excess moisture before and during the cooking process. Epstein explains that if ricotta isn't drained as part of the prep, "the moisture in the ricotta causes the lasagna to fall apart."
There are other ways to prevent excess moisture in your lasagna, such as draining your meat, cooking off some of the sauce if it's too thin, and laying the lasagna sheets on some kitchen towels to drain off water. Maren Epstein also recommends using an enamel baking dish rather than Pyrex, as it will provide more even heat distribution.
Moisture itself isn't the enemy. You'll need some moisture to cook the pasta sheets through, but too much can result in a soggy end product. If a lasagna has too much liquid in it, the layers will simply slide against each other rather than merge together. This means that when you remove a serving from the dish, it will quickly separate and sag.
This problem only gets worse if you keep some lasagna aside for leftovers. Because condensation occurs naturally as a part of the cooling process, leaving a lasagna in the fridge or freezer will cause it to take on moisture. This shouldn't make too much of a difference if you've prepared your lasagna carefully, but if there's already excess moisture present, you'll end up making the problem even worse.
Why do I have to drain ricotta? Because otherwise there'd be cheese water in your ricotta (ew!) and if you used it in a recipe your dish would come out soggy.
Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact. So what happens if you don't put eggs in your lasagna? It'll just be a bit runnier, but omitting the egg won't affect the taste.
Paper towels are probably the easiest cheesecloth substitute as it's a staple of nearly every kitchen. Place a dampened paper towel inside a strainer to get a finer strain. Keep in mind that paper towels, especially when wet, aren't as durable as cheesecloth and may break. Coffee filters are another excellent choice.
An unfortunate soupy texture in lasagna is caused by excess moisture in the ingredients. Thoroughly draining the ricotta cheese you'd use in a classic lasagna recipe or squeezing the cooked spinach you might add to a vegetarian version can definitely help.
For moisture coming from the sauce (tomatoes, broth, wine...) allow your sauce to simmer longer before adding it to the lasagna dish. Again this 'reduces' the sauce and will leave you with less liquid at the end. Cheeses, choose well aged cheeses over some of the cheaper alternatives.
This is because egg whites have lots of water (88%) while egg yolks are made up of 50% water. Furthermore, egg yolks are also comprised of fat, which aids in increased moisture for ricotta. So next time you're making lasagna, be sure to use an egg to increase the moisture levels of the ricotta cheese.
The liquid whey left over from making ricotta is really healthy. Cover and refrigerate it to use in breads, soups, and smoothies instead of milk or water. You can also use it instead of water when cooking pasta or rice. Or, if you're really adventurous, try drinking it plain (you'll make your great-grandma proud).
Ricotta is not supposed to melt, or dissolve, or anything like that. It is made up of protein clumps. The only way it can appear very smooth is if the manufacturer created a cheese where the clumps have been made very tiny mechanically - because chemically, they are still clumps and stay that way after heating.
It adds a wonderful texture and flavour to the lasagna. We have received requests to make our lasagna without the egg because it just seems so foreign to some people. That's no problem. We don't mind omitting it; but, if you enjoy authentic food, I would encourage you to give it a chance.
Turn the oven on to 350ºF so it can preheat while you're assembling the lasagna. Once the lasagna is ready, cover the pan with a layer of aluminum foil. Place the pan in the oven and allow it to bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil so the cheese can brown.
Draining the excess moisture from ricotta is an important step, especially before using it in baked goods. Soggy cheese makes for heavy pie crusts and cakes. To drain properly, place a cheesecloth-lined, fine-mesh strainer over a bowl.
I also want to emphasize the importance of timing: do not overheat the milk-cream mixture, and do not let it boil. Otherwise, you will end up with tough and rubbery curd. And, please, remember that the adjective “fresh” is applicable for a couple of days only; so consume the cheese rather soon.
Put the water in a large pot and put on the stove to boil. While the water is heating, place 3-4 paper towels on a large plate and spread the ricotta on the paper towels in an even layer. Place another layer of 3-4 paper towels on top of the ricotta. Press down, this will dry the ricotta out.
If you are using beef, drain the fat. Once the meat is cooked, add the jar of marinara sauce and stir to combine. Strain the cooked lasagna noodles from the water and add them right into the sauce.
In the past I've had problems with the lasagna being too watery. I find that only happens when I used a combo of whole milk ricotta and whole milk mozzarella. If I use part-skim ricotta, it's always just right. The addition of cottage cheese may seem a bit odd, but it really does lighten up the texture of the ricotta.
If you want to make sure your lasagna turns out perfectly, don't forget to let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before popping it in the oven. This will prevent it from drying out and ensure that it cooks evenly.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
